June roundup

As the hot weather kicked into full force, my knitting picked up pace also.

I made:

3 swiffer covers

Spruce Tree mittens and hat

Snowdrop socks

plain vanilla rose jacquard socks


The end

Ouch! my brain hurts.

I'm back to socks again. And this time, they're making my brain hurt.

Waying too much thinking going on.

Or rather, I'm in summertime mode and what might be an acceptable amount of thinking is now way beyond what my brain can handle.

I'm trying to make some summer socks. (I know, I know, it's almost July. Whatever. I'll still have all of August to wear them. And possibly September.)

These are made with Brown Sheep Cotton Fine.

But they're not fine. They're saggy.



I had the brilliant idea of using twisted ribbing for the cuff with the idea that it would hold it tighter. Which it doesn't.

Sigh. I'll have to rip it out and try again.

---------------

I've also started my first pair of beaded socks. Which hurts my head.

I really, really, really needed to concentrate on the beaded rows to get them counted right. I even sat at the dining room table with the beads in front of me to add them as needed.



The pattern is another one from 6SoxKAL; I believe it's called Faggoting Ribs. That's all the beading required until the next sock, so I might make it through.

Now...time for some mindless TV. And a nap.

A hat to match

I liked the pattern for the Spruce Tree mittens so much, that I made a hat to match.

I didn't have anymore Trekking XXL sock yarn, so I used a strand Knitpicks sock yarn in rust (that may not be the official name, but it's the color. And I'm too lazy to walk into the other room to check.)(Because it's not only in the other room, but I actually put it away in my sock bin, so that would require moving the stuff on top to look inside. And I'm definitely too lazy for that.)

DD#2 declined to be the model today. She had just put her hair into a ponytail and was on the way out the door for field hockey practice. That's not a real reason, is it? After all, it was only 95 degrees...



Notes on hat: (If you've made the mittens, this might make sense.)
Size 7 circs and dpns. 1 strand ww and 1 strand sock wt.
96 sts, 1x1 twisted rib, 9 rows. increase 6 sts. 102 sts.
6 spruce tree cable repeats with 8 sts inbetween. Total of 6.25". At brim, decrease in st st on each side of cable every other row, then decrease until small # of stitches (not that that's any help, I just did some "normal" hat decreases at the top while keeping the cable intact as long as I could.)

And, ta-da! A hat.

A plethora of finished objects

Plethora. That's what I have at my house, a plethora of FOs.

pleth·o·ra   /ˈplɛθərə/ [pleth-er-uh]–noun
1.overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance.

It's one of my favorite words. I'm probably using it wrong, since it's definitely not an overabundance, just... a lot. But it sounds much better than "a lot" so I'm using it.

In related dictionary searches, here's paucity:

pau·ci·ty   /ˈpɔsɪti/ [paw-si-tee]–noun
1.smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantiness: a country with a paucity of resources.
2.smallness or insufficiency of number; fewness.

I'll have to remember that word, since usually I have a paucity of FOs.


Anyway, see what I mean?

First finished was this pair of plain vanilla socks that aren't really very plain, are they?



Size 1 dpns, 68 sts. This is Patons Kroy rose jaquard, 2 skeins. And I AGAIN ran out of yarn for the toes. Fortunately I had some striped Marathon yarn left over and it matches very well, don't you think?



You might notice that these pictures were taken outside. Today. In 98 degree heat. Because what else does one do in 98 degree heat than model wool socks (and mittens) outdoors. Right?

"Yes, DD#2, I will take you to the pool just as soon as you try on some wool socks. Don't forget the sunscreen!"

These socks are mine, and still I managed to do the picture taking and not the trying on.



The snowdrop socks are finished and I absolutely love them. (Even though I haven't tried both on yet. So they might be too tight. But I tried on the first one so it should be okay. Plus, there's no way I'm redoing them so I'll just have to hope for the best. And wait for a cooler day to try them on.)



The pattern is from 6SoxKAL yahoo group (so you have to join the group if you want the pattern. But it's totally worth it.) It's toe up which is not my favorite, but it's good for a change.




And then, DD#1 came home and liked my swiffer covers. (Not like my other children who were all haters. But then DD#1 always was my favorite.)(Just kidding.)(Or not, she also cleans up my counters.)

I started making her one then ran out of time, so she took my blue green one and I'm mailing this one to her.




(No, I couldn't manage to take this on a more neutral background. You'll just have to get your sunglasses if you want a closer look.) I've used the blue/green one and it worked good. The larger one hasn't been used yet, but I don't think it will scratch my floor as the swiffer itself isn't scratchy.

Then, because wool socks weren't enough, I also finished some wool mittens.



These are the spruce tree mittens from the other day. They're made with Patons Classic wool in sesame and a strand of Trekking XXL sock yarn on size 7 dpns. The pattern was followed as written. They fit me well. (Again, you can't tell because I'm not trying mittens on in 98 degree heat. That's DD#2's job.) I have large hands, so if you're making them, you might want them a tad shorter.



Nice mittens and a nice pattern. I might have to make a green pair.

My goal for the rest of the month?

To have a plethora of FOs and a paucity of UFOs.

Straying from socks

I've been working on socks, as always, and UFOs that somehow never become FOs.

Needing a break, I decided to make a swiffer cover.

Yes, really, a swiffer cover. (For those out of the country this means YOU, Valeria!, a swiffer is like a floor mop where you can attach a disposable cloth to scrub and then throw away. I bet you already knew that, didn't you? )

I did this pattern as written and it turned out like this:




Pretty, and hopefully functional. My family thinks it's weird and gross and why not use the disposables anyway? And this is too pretty to get dirty, etc.

Anyway....

Ignoring them, I decided to make another one.

This is a bigger size that fits my duster mop.




I'm hoping it will work okay, even if it's saggy in the middle.

It gave me something different to do, anyway, which was one of the main points of making them. So there.

Then, someone on M4A pointed out these Spruce Tree mittens. The thumb gusset only increases on one side and not both to make left and right mittens and not one-kind-fits-all. I thought I'd give them a try.



These are using Patons Classic wool in sesame and a strand of Trekking XXL sock yarn on size 7 dpns. So far, so good.

The whole driveway

During the snowstorm in February, we had a tree that tried to hold onto every snowflake that it could until the weight just got too heavy and it bent over like this.




As you might imagine, we were fearful of our cars' safety, moved them out of the way, and tried to shake off the snow as best we could. (At the beginning we could touch one of the branches so we shook it until snow came off and then it bounced up some. Then, the boys tied a baseball with a piece of string, threw it up until it caught on a branch, and shook it that way.)

The tree recovered somewhat, but continued to have a bendy look to it all these months later. We continued to park at the end of the driveway for the next several months as an added precaution.

Today it looks like this:



Some friends came over and chopped it up and carted away the wood. (Thank you!)

Now we can use the whole driveway for parking.

The end.

A sock week

Since last blogging, I decided to work on my Snowdrop socks, which reminded me how much I love these socks! The combination of pattern plus Aruncania yarn is really delighting me.

This sock was even working on during a baseball game. For some events this pattern would be too complicated to work on, but baseball has so much down time that it turned out okay. It's 2 repeats short of starting the heel, and then it'll be halfway done.

While examining the first sock, though, I discovered this error, on the foot of the sock. (The tiny white words say "right here" and point to an error on the decreasing slant.)



There is no way I'm going to fix this on an already completed sock, and I'm sure I'll forget about it very quickly. (At least, I hope it's not something that I'll look at each time I put them on and wonder why I didn't take the time to fix it.)

I also decided I needed a plain pair in progress, so I got out a teal skein of cotton fleece and proceeded to make this mess.



For some reason I couldn't find the end and wound it up around the skein and then had the bright idea of slipping the wound-up part off and pulling it back that way. (That makes no sense, so in short... I did it to myself.)

It stayed that way in my living room for a day or so, but finally it looks like this:



And since it looks just like my snowdrop yarn, here's a picture of both skeins of yarn to show that I didn't just throw away the mess and pretend that the one skein was the other.



But, in the meantime, I still needed a plain pair of socks to knit, so here's the start.



As always, watching the stripes happen makes the knitting goes about twice as fast as normal.

It's been quite a sock week, with predictions of more of the same for next week.

May roundup

One pair of brown/black marl socks for M4A.

Pattern for Diana socks.

Some spinning, some knitting, lots of spending.

Not much accomplished. Hmmm... How can I make this better? Finish some UFOs? Knit some thick toddler socks? Stop cleaning the house? (Wait, I already did that.) Stop feeding the family? (I'll have to think on that one. It might be doable.)

Anyway, that's it for May.

What I've been working on...

There have been massive amounts of track meets/soccer games/baseball games lately, which should mean I've gotten massive amounts of knitting done, but somehow that hasn't worked out.

I can't explain it, really. I still take my knitting where ever I go. Maybe I'm paying more attention to what's going on than normal. Maybe I'm afraid of getting another puncture wound. (I got a slight one at a track meet as I clapped while holding my needles. Not so smart.) Maybe I'm too tired from driving around that I sit in a stupor rather than be productive. Maybe I have nothing to knit that interests me.

Who knows...

These are the socks that have been going with me everywhere and they are finally done.



They were knit on my size 1 square needles using 64 sts and a plain vanilla sock pattern with an afterthought heel.

This pair was not as much fun to do as some. Maybe it was the dark colors (or the hunt I had trying to find black sock yarn.) Maybe it was the square needles that, while incredibly fun to use, felt a bit more rough in my fingers. Maybe it was knitting a really long tube of straight knitting without a heel to give it some interest. Maybe it was the picking up of the heel stitches at the end.

I don't know, but anyway they're done, and even it they weren't very interesting, they're still a nice pair of warm socks for M4A.

I've been working on my spinning in bits and pieces and have been enjoying every minute of it. I've finally broken out my new bobbins (in the middle) and they fit and work well (and maybe sometime I'll finish them.) (Okay, just one is in the middle and one is not in the picture, but they both work.)




And, for my "at home" knitting project, I've been working on my Myrtille cardigan. I've finished knitting the front and back and both sleeves.



Well, both sleeves are done, and one is sewn in, but I don't like the way it looks. I did the pattern differently and fiddled with the shoulder cap and now the shoulder looks too loose. I'll have to figure out what to do with it, so now it's been just sitting around. (And I was so close to completion, too.)

Now I have a quandry of what to knit next?

Cast on for the second snowdrop sock? (One is done, but I'd like both feet to be warm and not just one.)

Cast on for a plain pair? (Track is done but there is still another week of soccer and lots of baseball. And I could use a new pair of summer socks.)

Finish Myrtille? (I might just have to rip out the top part and sew it in as the pattern suggests. That wouldn't be too much work.)(Or, I might have to rip out most of the sleeve and knit it tighter which would be much more work. I don't want to get started and find out that I really need to do option #2. But still, they're 3/4 length sleeves and go way faster than otherwise for my gorilla arms.)

Start a new pair of socks? I have a beaded sock pattern sitting in front of me on my computer desk that I've stared at the past month that I'm dying to start. Or the Cubist socks pattern from Cookie A. that I just got yesterday from Knitting Daily. That would be fun.

So many choices...

So little time...



Especially when the weekend involves cleaning....



And laundry....

All for a skein of black yarn

I've been looking from some black sock yarn (in a store, not online). I'd like it for the heels and toes of a plain vanilla pair.

It's been hard to find. In the meantime, I've found...

Some Red Heart heart and sole... enough for a pair...




And some Patons Kroy... for another pair...



And a bunch of Patons Classic wool... enough for a sweater (when it joins what I already have)...



Each of those purchases were good deals, either on sale, or on clearance, or with coupons. I just couldn't resist.

And, finally.... a skein of black sock yarn...



Now, if only it matches...

Got your needles ready? Ok...GO!

I finally edited my Diana socks pattern and it's ready to be test knit. Anyone up for the challenge? Let me know if you make a pair and how they turn out. (Assuming that you make a pair. If you only make one, then maybe there's a problem....)(With my pattern, not with your attention span.)(Or maybe with the running out of yarn. I had that happen on both pairs that I knit. Take the 220 yds. seriously--I had a 200 yd. skein of yarn that wasn't quite enough and had to use another light green for the toes.)

Also, I disabled comments on the pattern. That way, anyone printing out the pattern doesn't get a page or two of comments. If you want to comment on the pattern you can always do it here. (And comments are always welcome!)

P.S. Lookie-- Mamamidwife gave me a Sunshine Award!

Diana socks

These are socks that I designed for Diana, a graduate from an orphanage in Urpinka, Kazakhstan. I wanted something heavy, but still with a bit of pattern. These knit up quickly while giving some visual interest. The lighter green socks are Diana's, while the darker green will be going to another child this winter.

10/20/2012 Update: The pattern is now available in the "Dear All the Mamas" ebook, available on Ravelry.




Dear All the Mamas; Knitting for the Orphans of Kazakhstan is available for a donation of $15.95 to the Motherless Child Foundation through Ravelry. ALL proceeds flow directly to this 501(C)(3) nonprofit public charity to help fund our work for the children in orphanages in Kazakhstan.

Not only does this 70-page eBook feature a collection of 21 PATTERNS, but the knitters of the Mittens For Akkol Yahoo group also have shared our knowledge and experience about knitting for extremely cold weather. We have included several stories about the children and experiences in Kazakhstan, sizing charts, and information for all knitters who enjoy working in wool and providing warm items for others.

To purchase, you can click on the title above, or you can click on this "buy it now" button.

Toys

Since I last blogged, I've had time to play with my new toys.

My swift is beautiful. And swift.



It doesn't fit the two regular tables that I own, but it works good on this little end table.

I stopped winding at 3 skeins, but I could've continued for several more.




I've also started spinning the merino I got. It's spinning up very nicely and I seem to be making thinner singles, so the end result may be something closer to worsted. (That's my goal, anyway, but I'll be happy with whatever it turns out to be.)



I enlisted DH into taking some pictures of my square needles, since I couldn't quite show the "squareness".



These are much better.



You can feel the ridges when you first start using them, but after that they just knit like normal.



(The line of blue yarn is where I plan to put an afterthought heel, so I'm on the foot of the first one of these socks.)



I'd recommend these needles to anyone who wants a "unique" factor. The whole time I'm knitting with them I'm saying, "I'm knitting with square needles. Hehehehehe." (And if I'm talking to myself, then you should too!)

What it was...at MDSW

(Not to be read while eating.... this is your only warning...)



While a votive holder was a really good guess, it wasn't right. (Although...now that you mention it...it's about the same size. I might just have to try it some day.)


Here's another clue:





Yes, really, it's a egg separator!






Bleh!! says Smiley as he pukes out his guts.


It works amazingly well and it's quite fun, besides! (Not that I ever separate eggs, I just got this for the cuteness factor.)

We separated two eggs and then put them back together to make brownies.

Heh, I could do this all day long!

P.S. Cluster vase and egg separator were bought from Honeysuckle pottery, website found here.

MDSW, part two

I bought 3 things at MDSW that were just so cute that they deserved their own post.

First, this tiny flower pot. Flower vase? Multi-flower vases?

Ah, it's called a cluster pot (I just looked it up.)

Anyway, there are 4 pots that can each hold one bloom.

Here's a coffee cup for scale:




And then, we found these. And I had to buy two of them.






Can anyone guess what they are?